


Washout Experiment

by Glow197



Series: Avenue of Apostasy [2]
Category: Warframe
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Not a ship fic, OC, Original Character - Freeform, dad tyl, warframe oc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29679255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glow197/pseuds/Glow197
Summary: Part 2 of Avenue of Defection! I decided for the second work, I would write about Tea'rig and Kieg's backstories. Tea'rig was a tubeman, part of one of the first batches. Kieg was a Drekar scorpion. It follows the story of how the two escaped the sea lab and joined the Steel Meridian.I plan for this work to be longer than Shielded Unfealty, and the pacing will hopefully slow down.
Series: Avenue of Apostasy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179935
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Darkness.

It was the first, only thing he found himself greeted with.

A dark, endless abyss, which he could feel himself floating within. He could feel ONLY himself, occasionally his hands grasping at the nothingness, or clawing at his sides and shoulders. He was the only thing there. At least he thought so, until every so often, sounding miles and miles away he heard signs that indicated otherwise. The pattering of feet, voices, sometimes a loud blaring noise. He hated that one the most, but it was one of the only things he could ‘feel’. A sharp, unpleasant sensation, were he could sense his head. So maybe the sound wasn’t all too bad.

The more time he spent in that homely darkness, the more he could hear. He could formulate words that were spoken, recognize sounds, especially ones that were shouted. One word in particular always caught his attention. It was always followed up by groups of footsteps, very harsh and loud, panicky sometimes. He wondered what it meant though.

~~~

One particular instance however, he experienced something new, different. No longer did he find himself in a blank void, rather he believed there was something before him. It looked brighter as he moved felt his eyes begin to move and glean his surroundings. It was blurry, occasionally small pockets of air rising in front of him. Sometimes they grazed his suspended form, which sent a feeling up his spine, sort of ticklish.

Now, whenever there were footsteps or shouts before him, he swore he could see blurry figures and forms. Some were hulking and tall, others a bit smaller. He could not discern many details about them however. Not the way he could his hands. When he slowly moved his head, lifted his arms, he could see them much more clearly. They were short and slender as far as he could tell. Slowly over time he discovered a pattern. It seemed that people would pass by at certain times, three or four times a day. Sometimes it seemed they were directly looking at him. They could see him, he figured, but he could not do anything much back. Though sometimes he would try to move his hand in a sort of gesture. Usually he got no response, but on a rare occasion he would get a mimicked gesture back. And even more rarely, he’d get some sort of verbal response, though he didn’t fully understand it.

The one figure he always recognized however looked unlike any other. He was taller, broader than others. He seemed to be the one who visited his enclosure the most often, leaning forward and observing him. He could not see his face, but he could see two glowing yellow dots, most likely his eyes. They felt piercing, and very observant. When the owner walked by, he felt a nervous prickle down his limbs. He felt the eyes burning through him almost.

One day, he decided to try and wave to the figure, the same movement he usually got from the others he saw. It was a bit shaky and slow, but he managed. The figure did not wave back, not right away. Instead he tilted his head, and tapped his finger on something… some sort of barrier… it had not even occurred to him that there could be something keeping him in here! Did that mean that those ‘outside’ could see him much more easily perhaps? He could not even imagine that!

He stared at the figure for a while. He tilted his head to the side in curiosity. The figure mimicked him back. He reached his hand outwards to the invisible barrier, now feeling it fully. It was smooth, almost slimy. The figure looked at his little palm and raised his own against the see through wall. He could see it very clearly now… it was HUGE! His fingers were longer, and a bit thicker, his palm wide. He was certain if he tried to wrap his hand around the figure’s wrist, he wouldn’t be able to touch his middle finger and thumb. That was scary…

After a few more minutes, the figure left him alone. He could almost see some sort of imprint on the barrier where the large hand had been. He felt himself drift back into the middle of his enclosure wondering now.

_“When will I be able to get out? Can I get out?”_

He sat there, now motionless, to contemplate the idea.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every day was slightly different now. Sometimes, the tall broad figure would only stop for a moment, look at him, and leave again. Other days, the figure would put his hand to the barrier, sometimes give it a tap to see if he would respond. He usually gave a little wave, or tried to press his hand back onto the invisible wall. At first he thought it was just to communicate, but slowly, got the feeling that there was something more. Something far bigger than he could imagine, a reason behind it all.

Every day was slightly different now. Sometimes, the tall broad figure would only stop for a moment, look at him, and leave again. Other days, the figure would put his hand to the barrier, sometimes give it a tap to see if he would respond. He usually gave a little wave, or tried to press his hand back onto the invisible wall. At first he thought it was just to communicate, but slowly, got the feeling that there was something more. Something far bigger than he could imagine, a reason behind it all.

He seemed to be visited more and more by the lone figure, and less by any others. He wondered why. It didn’t matter anyways, he didn’t care about them as much. He didn’t see them in the same light as he saw the burly one. He felt very safe when they saw each other, protected and secure. Especially when he talked. Sometimes the figure would speak things to him, and he had begun to understand some of the words. He understood what he was called… ‘TM-004’, or ‘4’ for short. He didn’t know what it quite meant, but it was a name. A name of his own. It felt special to him, to be addressed this way, like he was suddenly placed on a pedestal.

There were other words he learned that weren’t all so pleasant though. ‘Tenno’ and ‘lizard’, two words that were spoken wish such harshness and aggression, they had to be anything but good words he figured.

~~~

One day was very different however. The figure had not appeared, not for a long time it felt. He was worried, scared, all sorts of things he had never felt before. It was like the sound of the alarms he occasionally heard, it was bad. He put his hand onto the barrier, tapped it a few times. He got nothing. No one was there, he was completely alone. He began looking around his enclosure, a new feeling rising into his chest.

Panic. Anxiety.

He hit the barrier a little harder, and still got no response.

He began to curl up on himself, tucking his legs in and wrapping his arms around. Warmth rose into his head, and his enclosure felt smaller that day. The only thing that he could hear were alarms, going off more often than usual. It felt like every second they were sounded, the walls closed in on him more and more. His hearing went fuzzy after a while, seconds felt like minutes, he lost all sense of where in the enclosure he was. It felt blurry, intoxicating. He didn’t like it.

The worst sound of all however was a terribly loud crashing noise. It was like nothing he had heard, followed by a sloshing sound, similar to the liquid he floated in when he moved around in it. But why?? Why was he hearing this noise?

The sound repeated, two more times, about 30 seconds in between each. He was scared. He could hardly see what was going on around his enclosure. He slowly turned his head upward, to lock gaze with a figure he had never seen before. He couldn’t see any eyes, and they certainly didn’t look like any figure he had seen walking around. He stared for a long, long while, time itself seeming to stop, until the figure lifted its hand. He could see something in its grasp, long and slender. He didn’t know what it was, but realized, whatever that sound was, he was next. He was about to be hit by something.

He put his hands up, covering his face. What else could he do? He couldn’t fight back, he was a sitting duck!

A killing blow never struck him however. Instead, he heard a metallic _THWAP_ , and a body falling to the ground. Upon uncovering his face, he saw the reassuring face of the tall figure, having struck the aggressor. He was here… to protect him…

The tall figure took the object in his hand, which was not nearly as long, but looked much thicker, and slammed it onto the ground where the attacker would have been, but he only heard it impact the ground. He felt tremors from the attack, felt the liquid in his enclosure vibrate a little. Scary…

His tall protector huffed, looking upwards. He didn’t know what happened, but from the way he shouted and glared upwards, he assumed his attacker got away.

The... Protector. Yes, a fine name…

The protector continued to make a loud tired huffing sound, leaning on the barrier, pressing his head and hand to it to rest.

004 returned the gesture, looking at The Protector, putting his hand and forehead in the same locations. He had stopped shaking. He felt safe once more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn’t know how much time passed before The Protector stopped making noise. He was still hunched over, leaning on the barrier, his hand flinching every few seconds. 004 was happy he was here, he was happy to see him, and he had forgotten what had just happen. Not that he understood what could have happened…

He didn’t know how much time passed before The Protector stopped making noise. He was still hunched over, leaning on the barrier, his hand flinching every few seconds. 004 was happy he was here, he was happy to see him, and he had forgotten what had just happen. Not that he understood what could have happened…

He tapped on the glass again, trying to get The Protector’s attention. The Protector sighed, tilting his head upwards to meet his eager gaze. He began speaking, and patting the barrier. He seemed… upset. Sad? 004 could tell by the way his voice was that it wasn’t a good feeling. The Protector looked over to the side, out of 004’s vision, and shook his head, before slumping away. 004 Pressed his head onto the barrier again, before drifting back into the center. He felt bad now... he was so happy to see The Protector had saved him, but he didn’t feel the same it seemed.

004 watched as more came to visit the room he inhabited, carrying various objects he didn’t recognize. One was a long stick with a white mass at the end that was rubbed along the ground. He didn’t quite understand. Another object that was brought in looked like some sort of white flabby container. He watched the figures move in the room, and lift something into the containers, something dark black. Like him…? It was a similar color to the suiting that covered his fingers, arms, and body. He wondered what it was…

After the dark masses were lifted into the containers, they were closed up, and then carried away. 004 pressed his hands onto the barrier, trying to get a better look at what was going on. None of the figures looked at him however. He got no glances, no waves, no nods of acknowledgement. Even when he tapped on the glass he was paid no attention. It felt bad, but not like it had before. Anger. He felt the way The Protector sounded, yelling at that aggravator as they left. He slowly turned away, crossing his arms and facing a blank part of his enclosure, one he couldn’t see through. He didn’t enjoy being ignored in such a manner.

He could hear the shuffling of feet behind him for quite a while, slowly getting quieter, before it stopped. He still did not turn around, feeling spiteful to his little core.

~~~

He didn’t know how much time passed once again, it could have been a few minutes, hours, or days for all he knew. He didn’t care. He was trying to process what he was feeling.

He wanted attention, especially after such a frightening experience. But at the same time, if The Protector or someone else came back to check on him, he felt like he would just look away, and ignore them in return. He instead tapped on the black wall of his enclosure, using it to pass the time.

It worked too well.

He completely lost track of time once again. He just kept tapping his fingers on the wall, over and over again. He liked the sound it made, how it peacefully reverberated through the enclosure. It wasn’t deafening like the alarms. It was soothing, deep. It lulled him into a calmer state, until he reconnected with realizing his surroundings again.

By the time he became aware once again, he turned, only to see The Protector standing before him, observing him. He jolted his body around, forgetting how angry he had been and pressing his hands to the barrier once more. He was ecstatic now, tapping his little hands on the barrier. The Protector addressed him by his full name, _“TM-004”_ , and then began a spiel he didn’t quite understand. But he could tell from the voice that The Protector was happy to see him as well, and seemed to be… apologizing? It sounded like?

He pressed his forehead to the barrier again, and The Protector stopped his little rant, before sighing, and returning the gesture.

They stayed still, The Protector sometimes making a small sigh, whispering something that sounded kind to 004. 004 tucked his arms in, and turned his head onto his side, feeling drowsy. Certainly quite a bit of energy had been taken out of him today. He felt so calm now, close to the one person he trusted, his protector, his caretaker.

He felt his eyes close as The Protector walked away, and his body returned to the center of his pod. For the first time in his life, he felt the blissfulness of a des


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He awoke once more, to see The Protector, standing there again. He excitedly put a hand on the barrier, waiting for him to return the gesture, but he did not. He seemed to have something in his hands instead. It was brown, and flat, and in his other hand was something skinny and black. He was dragging the small black object along the brown flat one, looking up at 004 every once and a while. He tilted his head and tapped his knuckles on the barrier. The Protector put a finger up, a sign he sort of recognized as ‘silence’. He then continued with the two objects.

He awoke once more, to see The Protector, standing there again. He excitedly put a hand on the barrier, waiting for him to return the gesture, but he did not. He seemed to have something in his hands instead. It was brown, and flat, and in his other hand was something skinny and black. He was dragging the small black object along the brown flat one, looking up at 004 every once and a while. He tilted his head and tapped his knuckles on the barrier. The Protector put a finger up, a sign he sort of recognized as ‘silence’. He then continued with the two objects.

004 sat, waited, silently. The Protector eventually stopped, sighing, and walking away for a moment. 004 pressed his head to the barrier and waited for him to come back. He did, now without either objects in his hands. He put his hand on the barrier once more, and addressed him.

_“TM-004…”_

He continued, saying something 004 couldn’t quite piece together. But he could tell The Protector was saying something important. So he just nodded a bit.

The Protector moved his hand to the side of the enclosure, to a place 004 couldn’t quite see with his eyes. He saw him reach his finger out, as if to tap something.

Nothing happened for a few seconds.

And then, he heard a noise from below. Looking down, and then back up at The Protector, he nervously tapped the barrier. What was going on??

The Protector put his hand on the same place, watching him in his enclosure. Slowly, but surely, 004 realized what was going on. The level of the liquid in his container was receding, going down. He looked at the level lessen and banged his hand on the barrier a few times, but The Protector did not do anything, just watched him.

He covered his face, curling his legs into himself once more in fear. He didn’t know what to do! What would happen once the liquid had been completely gone? He didn’t want to know, but he was about to find out.

About a minute had passed. The process felt like an hour. His body floated on the surface of the liquid until his feet touched the bottom of his enclosure. He felt weak. Once the liquid had gone lower, he had no choice but to collapse onto the ground, leaning on the wall for little support. The weirdest part was he could HEAR himself. Making little struggling grunts, breathing now, things he had only heard from The Protector. He looked up, and was shocked even more at what he saw.

He could see so much more clearly, and more vibrantly. The barrier was still there, and he could see droplets of the enclosure’s fluid on it. He was shaking, feeling his muscles begin to tense and flex. He then saw The Protector, standing there staring down. Only now did he realize their size difference. He felt small, helpless, and pitiful. The Protector was enormous. He was tall, and had broad shoulders. Everything about his appearance struck fear into 004.

Then, the barrier began to open, sliding to the side. 004 cornered himself into his enclosure, making a pathetic whining noise and covering his head. The Protector began talking, and 004 saw him crouch down onto one knee, reaching a hand out. It brushed against his head. The hand itself was massive, yet The Protector was very gentle with him, gently caressing the side of his head, beginning to make a calming ‘shhhhhh’ kind of noise. 004 uncovered his head and stared at The Protector. Their eyes locked, and he felt a hand reach under his arm, prompting him to get up. He resisted, and felt the hand soften. The Protector as waiting till he was ready to move it seemed.

He took a deep breath, putting his small hands on The Protector’s arm to help himself. He felt himself gently lifted upwards onto his feet, given a moment to steady himself, before another hand reached out under his other arm. He was lifted out from his enclosure for the very first time.

It was blinding, vibrant, and noisy. He instinctively clinged to his Protector, grunting in pain. He received a gentle pat on the back and more comforting ‘shhhhh’ing sounds. Slowly he felt his body swaying, realizing that The Protector was walking around with him, and still saying things that he didn’t fully understand. He let it happen, trying to process this new world around him. It was no longer the same monotone appearance that was caused from the enclosure. It was much more diverse, colors he had never seen jumping out at him, bright noisy fluorescent lights hanging above, and sounds that were much louder than before. Particularly, The Protector’s footsteps. They reverberated in his head, emphasized and clear now that they were right there. Something about it was comforting to him. Let him know someone was actually there.

He was taken through several halls, until The Protector set him down in a room filled with shelf like structures. Holes in the walls with what could be called blankets. He was addressed again, before he was set in said bunk. It was big enough for him to sit up if he wanted, so he did. He felt less dizzy or weak than before, he had adjusted rather quickly. The Protector walked out of the room, leaving 004 to ponder what this place was. Obviously he was made here, but what WAS this? He had never been outside his enclosure, never knew that the world was this diverse looking. He looked around, grateful that this room was not as bright as the others. The lighting put him at much more ease.

After waiting a bit, the door to the room opened, and what 004 saw shook him. The Protector had returned, now holding another figure, who looked near identical to him. Similar size, attire, everything.

He stared at the two in shock as The Protector set this… other one down in a bunk next to his. The Protector then addressed this one… _“TM-005”_ … 004 poked his head out, tilting it in confusion. The Protector left once more, leaving him with this identical other. They stared at each other from their separate bunks, until this 005 reached their hand out, extending their fingers. 004 looked at the hand. It was just like his. He reached his hand as well, and they laced their fingers together, inspecting each other’s hands.

Once the tension was broke, 004 stepped out of his little cubicle, at the moment The Protector returned with two more near identical figures. _“TM-006, TM-007”._ They were a bit less shaky, slightly bigger looking too. They could even stand as soon as they were placed down. The Protector left once again, 004 predicted he would return with more of them. 006 and 007 approached 004 and 005, leering over them, inspecting them very closely, poking at their masks, lifting their arms. 004 pulled away, while 005 welcomed it, inspecting the other two himself. 004 then had an idea… something he felt would be appropriate. He remembered a very specific word that The Protector would say when addressing. He coughed, using his voice for the first time.

“H… hi… hello…”

His voice was shaky, but he managed his first word, and waved at the other three in the room. They didn’t give the same response back. At that moment, The Protector came back one last time, carrying three more subjects. _“TM-008, TM-009, and TM-010”_. He then stood back, watching what they would do. 004 stayed in his cubicle, while all the others began inspecting each other, poking and prodding at their masks. 008, 009, and 010 looked to be the biggest of them all, with thicker arms, and more height to them. 004 poked at 010’s shoulder, looking up at him, and in return, his wrist was grabbed as 010 began to look at his hands. 004 suddenly panicked, grunting and yanking his hand away.

“N-NO!!”

He backed away, grumbling and holding his own hand. The Protector noticed this, and had taken out that flat brown board he had earlier, began recording what happened. He made a surprised _“Hmmmm”_ sound. 004 didn’t like the sound of that. He receded back into the cubicle he had been placed in. The Protector gave him a glance, but didn’t approach him, just watched the rest of the batch interacting. They seemed much more eager to investigate each other, and become more familiar with each other, 004 however did not. The Protector sighed, taking notes on each one of them, before leaving once more.

004 stayed tucked into his cubicle. Eventually, the others got bored, tired, crawled into whatever cubbies they had been given. However, 004 didn’t sleep. He had questions, he needed to know where he was, what he and the rest of his group were.

And if he wanted to learn how to ask that, he’d have to learn how to talk. His first plan out of the tube. Learn to communicate with The Protector.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day was tiresome. He was only just drifting off to sleep after contemplating all night on what to do about his issue. He thought maybe he’d do what he had been doing previously in his enclosure, listening in on conversations.

The next day was tiresome. He was only just drifting off to sleep after contemplating all night on what to do about his issue. He thought maybe he’d do what he had been doing previously in his enclosure, listening in on conversations.

And the moment his eye lids shut, he was jolted awake by a harsh tap on his shoulder. He rolled over, grunting angrily, only to see 005 was there. He didn’t mind 005… for some reason… they were tolerable. Though now 004 felt a bit annoyed at being woken so abruptly.

He looked around, seeing none of the others in their group were awake. 005 tugged at his hand, prompting him to get up. He figured he wouldn’t be left alone till 005 got what he or she wanted. He couldn’t tell what the others were yet.

004 got up, staring at 005, who excitedly led him to the door of the room they had been in. It opened once they approached. 005 poked their head out, looking around. 004 followed, looking the other direction. There was no one in the halls. 005 tiptoed out, silent. As 004 went behind them, he noticed that his footsteps were quiet as well. Strange… they did not make the same clunky sound that the soldiers here made when they walked around.

The hallways seemed to be endless, and repeating. 004 didn’t like it. 005 however seemed to be blissfully excited with each door opening.

As they kept walking, they finally heard someone else. Someone talking. And to 004’s delight, it sounded like his Protector! He rushed forwards through the next door, seeing him standing before a table of some sort. There was someone ON the table, though they didn’t look awake. The Protector seemed focused on whatever he was doing. There was a smaller table at his side with a tray on it. 004 saw him lift his hand, and there was something very small in it. Like two little metal sticks conjoined together. He was using the tool on the soldier positioned on the table, using the two metal pieces to take out what looked like glass, the same material used on the tubes, the ‘invisible barrier’. These pieces were broken, shattered, and very sharp looking. The Protector looked like he was very focused, and needed to BE focused… so he slowly backed away. 005 however did not. They approached, taking a louder step forward. The Protector flinched, looking behind at the two. 004 felt a warmness rise to his face. Embarrassment. He cowered a bit, fearing that they were both about to be in trouble for this, but The Protector just sighed. He put the metal tool down on the table, took his two hands, and gently nudged them out of the door. However, he put his hand up. He wanted them to stay right there until he was finished.

005 nodded, humming in reply. 004 looked away and subtly nodded, a bit more nervous than the other. The Protector turned, closing the door behind. 004 tilted forward, now… curious. The Protector was doing something, and now he wanted to know what. He was happy to see him, just worried he’d be mad. But he wasn’t. He had just asked them to let him finish his work. If it was so important, 004 figured it must be worth watching.

He looked around, seeing some sort of hole in the wall. He had seen a few on the way here but didn’t think much of them. But now, he thought, maybe there was a connection between them all. He couldn’t reach the opening in the wall however. He gestured for 005 to come over, and they did. He took 005’s hands, and positioned them in a sort of cupping gesture. 005 tilted their head at him, but then he stepped into their hands. 005 understood now. They kept their hands there, helping to hoist him up into the vent. It was rough at first, but they managed to get him up.

004 decided he wanted to do this on his own. So, he crawled through the vents that went to the right and tilted upwards till they went right again. The other end of this vent indeed led to the room The Protector was in. 004 was up above him now, watching. What he saw nearly made him gasp.

The soldier on the table was bleeding. A LOT. They had many cuts in their body, and there were glass shards sticking from parts of them. The Protector was using the metal tool to remove glass from the body. For a moment, 004 was shocked, scared. But then, seeing the way The Protector worked… he was intrigued. His hand movements were so precise, so delicate. He hadn’t expected that from someone so big. It was hypnotic almost to watch him work.

He didn’t know how much time passed as he watched The Protector work. He had begun bandaging and cleaning the cuts on the body, and then left the subject there, most likely to wake up. He then turned, going back to the door. 004 realized that The Protector would find out he was spying, so he dashed down the vent again. Unfortunately, he ended up tripping, tumbling down the vents, right at the entrance where 005 was waiting. He landed at the bottom the moment The Protector walked out the door, making a loud THUMP and a frightened squeal. The Protector turned, looking into the vents to see him. He groaned, reaching a hand in to drag 004 out, and gently setting him onto the ground.

“004…”

He said something else after that. But 004 didn’t understand again.

005 tugged on The Protectors arm, and received a little hand hold in return. The Protector also took 004’s hand and began walking, back towards the direction of their room. 004 was shocked that he wasn’t cross with him…

~~~

Once they arrived back, the rest of the batch had already woken up. They were exploring the room more thoroughly, climbing in hard to reach places. The Protector snapped his fingers at 007 who was up high on some sort of storing shelves. He pointed to the ground, prompting them to come down. 007 obliged, crawling back down. The Protector sighed, nudging 004 and 005 back into the room. He picked up the board from yesterday and wrote something else down, most likely the events that had just taken place. 004 stayed right in front of him, didn’t return to the rest of the group.

The Protector finished writing down a few more points, before sitting on a crate in the room, waiting for the pod to settle down. 004 followed him, and one by one, the others gathered around him. He seemed to have something to say.

Once all eyes were on him, he put a hand to his chest and said two words that made more sense to 004.

_“Tyl… Regor…”_

A name. HIS name… The Protectors name was Tyl Regor.

That’s what 004 would call his Protector from now on then.

Everyone in the pod nodded, as if understanding.

Tyl got up, took the board with him this time, and left the room. He most likely had other things he had to attend to.

004 however did not feel at ease watching him leave. He waited, just a minute, ignoring any attention from his pod members, before leaving the room to follow.

He couldn’t believe this, but he was now curious… curious to watch Tyl work. Whatever he was doing earlier to help that soldier, 004 wanted to see more of it. Plus he might learn how to talk faster if he was around someone who could talk.

~~~

He caught up to Tyl eventually, keeping his footsteps silent. He stayed just close enough to see where Tyl went, but far enough to duck away and hide if he turned around.

Following him down the halls obviously wasn’t all too exciting, but with it, 004 began mapping the building. He would need to know this place like the back of his hand

As he trailed behind, he saw something that made him stop in his tracks.

A window, a large sheet of glass. And outside of it he saw a new color. Blue. For as far as he could see out of the windows was a deep blue, filled with the dancing of light from above. He fixated on it, never having seen something like this before. It was beautiful…

He stayed for so long however that once he snapped back, he realized he lost Tyl… he walked forward into the next room, and he wasn’t there. Great…

He wasn’t sure what to do…

He knew where to go to get back to the room, but did he really want to go back? He’d probably just be pestered again. He didn’t want that.

He decided he’d find Tyl.

He kept walking forward, looking left and right to see if there was anything else he’d spot that might surprise him. Surely there would be something.

As he walked through another door, he unfortunately hadn’t been paying attention to how fast he had been walking, or what was in front of him, because he bumped into the very leg of Tyl. So much for sneaking around…

The tall figure turned his head, for a moment not even seeing him until he looked down. He made a worried little gasp at 004, and crouched down, speaking.

He couldn’t understand every word… but now he could tell, Tyl was asking if he was ok.

004 nodded, still a little bit frightened. Tyl reached his big hand out, and 004 took it with both his hands. But as Tyl began walking back, 004 pulled back on his hand. He didn’t want to go back…

Tyl then spoke again. 004 recognized two words. ‘Stay’ and ‘me’. 004 nodded, yes he wanted to stay with Tyl.

_“Hmmm..”_

He took 004’s hand, and began walking to where he was going originally headed, taking the little clone with him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 004 found himself in a rather small room, with a raised area at the side like a table that had a console on it. 004 tilted his head. He had seen consoles like this before, but never how they were used. Tyl stood in front of it, typing on it with one hand, the other still gingerly holding 004’s. Well, it was more like 004 was grasping one of Tyl’s giant fingers with his whole hand. Tyl began typing something on the console, still with his one hand. It looked awfully difficult. 004 couldn’t really tell what he was typing either. Reading was a concept extremely new to him. But Tyl tapped the keys rather quickly, so 004 could tell he was very good at it.

004 found himself in a rather small room, with a raised area at the side like a table that had a console on it. 004 tilted his head. He had seen consoles like this before, but never how they were used. Tyl stood in front of it, typing on it with one hand, the other still gingerly holding 004’s. Well, it was more like 004 was grasping one of Tyl’s giant fingers with his whole hand. Tyl began typing something on the console, still with his one hand. It looked awfully difficult. 004 couldn’t really tell what he was typing either. Reading was a concept extremely new to him. But Tyl tapped the keys rather quickly, so 004 could tell he was very good at it.

He watched intently, unable to see the keyboard, but able to see the screen and the symbols on it. He even gripped Tyl’s hand with both of his own, trying to pull himself up to see the screen better. Tyl gazed downward again, before lifting 004 up, onto the table. He was right next to the console, now free to watch the screen. If he was fast typer with a single hand, Tyl was even faster with both hands freed. 004 kept staring down at the keys and then back at the screen. How could anyone even move that fast? The fastest 004 had ever gone was when he was crawling through the vents. That wasn’t very fast compared to the speed of the typing hands.

004 sat down on the table, staring at the screen, trying to make sense of it all. The symbols looked very square and clunky. He had seen these symbols before, but when he saw them on signs or messages around the area, he didn’t make much of it. Now it seemed that they had meaning.

But now he wondered, what was Tyl trying to communicate? And to who?

004 curiously reached a hand forward, to press one of the buttons. For some reason, just looking at them… they beckoned for him to press them.

He was swiftly intercepted by two of Tyl’s larger fingers pinching his hand, moving it away from the keys.

_“004… No…”_

004 looked down and nodded. He understood, but it didn’t feel good to be told off. He received a gentle tap on the cheek from Tyl’s thumb. He gripped the finger again, and this time Tyl let him, back to typing with a single hand.

~~~

A long time passed as 004 watched the typing. Once Tyl was done, the screen went dark, and he felt himself being lifted by the arm and placed back onto the ground. 004 looked up at him, making a confused noise himself. He didn’t get an answer, and instead was led away by the hand once more, back towards the room all the others were in. 004 made a small huffing noise, he supposed he had no choice now. Perhaps Tyl did need time to work on his own anyways.

The arrived in front of the door and he received a small pat on the back. The door opened revealing… all of the pod, waiting, right at the door. How long they had been there, 004 had no idea. He was nudged into the room, before the door closed behind him, and he found himself once again surrounded by his pod. He turned, only to find the door did not open. It had been locked it seemed… great…

He turned, suddenly face to face with one of the larger members of the group. TM-010. He didn’t seem to be too pleased that 004 had left. 004 just tried to scoot past the other, and instead was blocked.

He grunted, trying to go the other way, but 010 stopped him once more. Both of them were growing impatient it seemed, but he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He couldn’t communicate anything to 010, and he didn’t feel like starting a physical conflict. So what was he to do?

He stared at the other. Stared and waited.

The two of them just locked eyes. It had become a competition to see who would get bored and give up sooner, and 004 didn’t intend on losing. The rest of the pod members gathered around as an audience, with nothing else to do.

~~~

The two stood there for what felt like an hour to 004, but it was probably just a few minutes. A few minutes of two angry spiteful children staring at each other. He had gotten bored, but he was not going to lose to the other.

He huffed, leaning back on the door and crossing his arms. No sooner than he had done this, the door opened behind him, and he tumbled backwards. He clenched his eyes shut, groaning. This meant he had lost, hadn’t it.

He heard talking, familiar talking. Once he opened his reluctant eyes, he saw Tyl once more, questioning what they had been doing, while also reaching a hand down to pick up 004. He didn’t sound cross, but he did sound rather stern. 004 was put back on his feet, and the other pod members had stopped being circled around 010 and himself. 010 was even turned away a little with their arms crossed.

Tyl sighed, putting a hand to his forehead and shaking his head. He then put his hand to his chin, as if in thought.

004 felt a hand touch his own, Tyl’s hand. He was being led away again, and while he normally would have been fine with it, he wasn’t sure how he felt about being moved around this much. However, he had no choice. It seemed Tyl intended to keep him away from the other pod members, which was relieving to 004.

He was led away once more, this time in another direction. A hallway, several doors down, where he was met with a similar bunking room. This one however was smaller, and only had a few cubicles. He pattered in, tapping his fingers together. He looked back at Tyl, who had his notepad again and was writing something down. He had no idea what it was obviously, but suspected it had to do with him.

Tyl then said something that 004 recognized. Perfectly.

“TM-004. You will… stay here.”

Tyl wanted him to stay in the room. Right.

He nodded, and replied this time.

“Ok…”

This caught Tyl’s attention. He glanced up from the pad, and stopped writing. He didn’t say anything, just made a _“Hmmm”_ sound, subtly nodding. It wasn’t intimidating this time to 004. Instead he felt good, like he was being praised, and even that perhaps Tyl was smiling under that mask… if he had a face under his mask, that is.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He decided to explore this room. It had seemed Tyl made a hasty decision to leave him in here, so perhaps there were some things lying around. They could lead to him learning a bit more, since he had been left alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smaller chapter, since I have some stuff going on with school

He decided to explore this room. It had seemed Tyl made a hasty decision to leave him in here, so perhaps there were some things lying around. They could lead to him learning a bit more, since he had been left alone.

The room was smaller than the one the rest of his pod had been in, but it looked similar. The walls were the same dark green metal as the entire area. Nothing different.

There were other crates stacked around, he’d open those soon. There was two cubicles, not that it mattered since he wouldn’t seem to be sharing. He tapped his feet on the ground, and it made a loud tapping sound. Metal... oddly enough, just like his feet… why WERE his feet metal? It hadn’t occurred to him till now. They weren’t the same slightly spongy materials that covered his body…

He’d ask that to Tyl, one day. Maybe.

The crates. He’d look in those next. He padded up to them, putting his hand on the side of a small one, and trying to push it. It wasn’t very heavy, but he heard something rustling inside as it slid. He pried at the lid with his hands. It wasn’t nailed down or anything, and lifted easily. Inside he found… guns? He had seen a few guards and soldiers walking around with weapons, but he didn’t know what they were necessarily for. He reached inside, trying to pick one up, and failed to even get it a few inches up. These things were… heavy. Those who carried them around must have been incredibly strong to be able to hold them for so long!

He put the lid back on that crate. The objects were of no use to him. Next crate…

This one felt lighter, despite being bigger. No noise came from it. It must have been empty… but that didn’t mean it wasn’t worth opening. He pried this lid off, struggling a bit more from its size and weight. It shifted a little, before he shoved it off. Indeed it was empty… but now he had a different idea. Something… sort of… fun.

He took one of the smallest crates he could find, shoving it next to the big one. It was the perfect size for his intentions.

He hopped onto the smaller box, put his hands onto the rim of the larger one, and hoisted himself over.

He landed inside the box with a soft _thump_ , on his back.

Well… He did it.

He was in a box, a big box.

Now what?

He didn’t know why he wanted to be in the box, he thought it would have been fun.

Now he thought it was stupid.

He reached his arms, trying to pull himself out of the crate, only to find… now he was kind of stuck. He didn’t have the strength to pull himself all the way up there, not without a foot hold.

Great… he was stuck in a box…

He sat down in the center, thinking. What was he to do? He could TRY calling for help, but he doubted he would be all too loud.

He could… wait.

He’d just wait, wait until someone came for him…

Who knew how long that would be.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He jolted upwards to the sound of an opening door. He found himself laying on the ground of the wooden crate, and it was a bit darker than usual. He wondered why…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANOTHER very small chapter, apologies! Once this project I've been working on for school is finished, I'll be able to go back to longer chapters :]

He jolted upwards to the sound of an opening door. He found himself laying on the ground of the wooden crate, and it was a bit darker than usual. He wondered why…

But a door, a door opened. He couldn’t reach high enough to see outside of the crate, but he assumed it was Tyl at first.

However, Tyl’s feet did not sound like this. They were much more silent than this, each step a single sound. These sounded… clunkier. Heavier. Made two sounds with each step, like a heel and a toe. He peered through a small hole in the wood of the crate, trying to see what it was, and what he saw was NOT Tyl.

A figure that wasn’t even the same color as tyl. They looked… orange. Hunched over, stalking around. Suspiciously.

004 held his breath, anticipating what would happen. Were they friendly?? Or… were they going to hurt him?

He stared through the tiny opening, following them as they explored his room. There was something in their hands, long and bent, with a string on it. It looked like it could be a weapon weapon, but not one he was familiar with.

The figure began opening up some of the other crates in the room, taking out what seemed to be raw materials, ammunition cartridges, and leaving the weapons behind. He wondered why…

Suddenly, the figure turned its head, now fully in view, right at him. It had a singular eye shaped light, with something seeming to drape over its head. It was… spooky looking, that was for sure.

004 gulped, backing away from the hole and cowering. He could hear soft slow footsteps now getting closer, closer. He covered his face, unsure of what was to come next. Was he going to end up hurt?? Would this thing just leave him alone, or was it going to take him with it? That’s what he feared most…

But instead, an alarm. Another blaring, loud alarm. He heard the door open once more, more footsteps, these ones faster and harder, quickly fading away. He waited a minute, in total silence, before peering through the crack. Nothing. The figure was gone, the room was empty… hell, they had even left behind some of the items they were stealing. The alarm must have made them leave, and it was what seemed to have saved him from being found. He was thankful for that.

He stood back up, only to realize, he was still stuck inside of the crate. He’d still have to wait an unknown amount of time till he was saved from his little wooden cage… he didn’t know what could happen next, but he prayed that Tyl got here before someone else did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all are liking this so far. As with my first story, any criticism and feedback is welcome!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quite some time had passed. 004 was laying on the floor of the crate once more, waiting for ANYTHING to happen. He didn’t care what it was now, he was bored out of his mind sitting in this little prison he made for himself.

Quite some time had passed. 004 was laying on the floor of the crate once more, waiting for ANYTHING to happen. He didn’t care what it was now, he was bored out of his mind sitting in this little prison he made for himself.

Footsteps, again. The figure? No.. no these were much more familiar. They were softer, faster. They must have belonged to Tyl!

He sat up, peering through the opening, just as he saw a familiar face entering the door. It WAS Tyl this time, but he didn’t necessarily look happy…

“TM-004?? _004!?_ ”

He looked at the scattered items on the ground, making a small gasp.

“004 where are you??”

He put his head on his hands, and sounded like he was worried. Why?

004 knocked his hand on the side of the crate, and then waved his hand up, just in the view of Tyl.

“004 what are- oh dear… I…”

004 jumped a bit, trying to express that he was kind of stuck. In an instant he was picked up by the arm of Tyl, who was now sighing, putting a hand over his eyes. 004 looked at him, unsure WHY he was so concerned… but 004 DID realize he was understanding Tyl’s words more… and learning them very quickly. They were all words he had heard before, over and over again in the tubes, only now he was beginning to sort of understand. Not fully, but he was getting there.

Tyl huffed, putting 004 down gently, and patting his head. He liked that. He peered around Tyl, at the door, seeing his other pod members at the door. 010 of course was in front of the others… they were all looking from behind him. 004 tried to wave at them, hoping he’d get a response. After all, he hadn’t seen them in a day now, although he didn’t know why entirely. 005 waved back, looking rather excited, but none of the others did. He awkwardly looked down, and Tyl looked between them, sighing.

“Alright… then…”

He huffed and walked out of the room. The pod followed behind him however, and he didn’t seem to mind.

004 peeked out of the room, and followed behind, their collective feet almost stepping in unison.

Tyl seemed to just be letting them follow him around wherever he went. They passed by other soldiers, storage rooms, rooms that were locked for… some reason…

There were some rooms with the same green glowing tubes that he and the pod had emerged out of. There didn’t seem to be any persons in them however, they were just empty cases of liquid. Somehow, it was creepy… unfamiliar…

He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked to see 005 walking next to him, looking much friendlier than the others had. Since they were the two smallest, perhaps that’s why they tolerated him so much. He had to admit, having someone in this facility who couldn’t tower over him was nice.

005 held their hand out to his, like when they had first met. It was the same size as his was, though he was certain all of them had hands similar in size.

004 intertwined their fingers again, feeling a bit less nervous now. It was nice, unlike his first encounter with his pod. It wasn’t suffocating or scary, it was intimate and calming.

So, 004 walked with 005, hand in hand, at the back of the group.

Slowly, they were becoming bored out of their little minds… It wasn’t like there was much for 004 to see. He had seen plenty now, walking around following Tyl earlier. The hallways of the facility seemed to repeat over and over. It was eerie feeling… he squeezed 005’s hand for a moment, and it was soothing. He received a small squeeze in return.

And suddenly, he felt his whole world tip on its side…

It wasn’t just Tyl he felt comfortable around now. He had this… ‘sibling’, if one could call 005 that.

004 smiled behind his mask, and 005 seemed to be able to tell. There was a bit more skip in his step. He wondered… would this person, 005, be the closest, dearest friend to him? He hoped so…

~~~

The group stopped as Tyl stopped. In front of a door. The one in the front, TM-010, ended up bumping into Tyl’s leg, making a muffled grunt. He sounded deeper than 004, most likely because he was bigger.

Tyl jolted, whipping around to look at them all.

“What- how did…”

He looked confused and worried now, beginning to subtly point at each of them, checking they were all there.

“… My oh my…”

He huffed, and opened the door. It was a very small storage room, full of more crates. Tyl’s eyes glazed over them all before picking one up, and then walking back, back to the room. Once again, the whole group followed. It was then 004 noticed that their feet didn’t really MAKE sound as they walked. If he stomped hard enough, yes but… whatever he wore on his legs and feet was mostly silent. It’s no wonder Tyl was startled, he must have thought they had stayed behind!

He wondered if 005 had made the same deduction… but he figured that perhaps he was the only one.

As they followed Tyl back to the room, 004 could hear something in the crates, heavy objects jostling around as Tyl walked. He wondered what they were…


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyl kept walking around, going past the rooms they had stayed in. 004 wondered what he was doing, but figured, maybe it was something he had no knowledge of. He seemed content letting the whole pod follow him around wherever, as long as he could keep an eye on them. That seemed fair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALL RIIIIGHT I can finally get back to longer chapters again!! Sorry this one took so long, as you may know, I've had a bit more to do with school, but I hope it was worth the wait!

Tyl kept walking around, going past the rooms they had stayed in. 004 wondered what he was doing, but figured, maybe it was something he had no knowledge of. He seemed content letting the whole pod follow him around wherever, as long as he could keep an eye on them. That seemed fair.

004 and 005 began to trail behind a bit, creating a distance between themselves and the group. 004 hadn’t realized this until he felt a tug on his arm, looking back at the other, who was now tugging on his arm and pointing down a corridor. Seemed they wanted him to follow them. He made a small grunt, looking back, only to see Tyl and the rest of the pod were gone…

“U-uh…”

Once again, he was tugged, this time much harsher. He felt his footing loosen, and before he knew it, he was being forcefully dragged behind his pod member. He _tried_ to pull back, only to find that they were much stronger than he was!

Panic began to settle in, he grunted a few more times, trying to pull away. Eventually they stopped, cocking their head to the side and looking at him, confused. He yanked his hand back, tapping his fingers together. They made a soft ‘ _click_ ’ every time they touched.

“U-uhm… where… are we… go??”

A sentence. A hope to communicate. He could feel that he didn’t say something correctly, but it was the biggest attempt he had made at speaking thus far.

It was in vain however. 005 made a confused _hmm_ , and kept walking. They didn’t understand him… not yet. Or perhaps they couldn’t communicate back. He had noticed none of the other pod members had tried and talked, not like him, but surely they were trying to learn too?

He supposed he wouldn’t know till someone else tried to talk back to him.

He sighed… what was he to do then? Get lost by himself in the facility? Or get lost with someone else, and learn more about them?

He figured the second option would be more fitting…

He pattered behind 005, looking around once more. This area seemed… different. It was more cavernous, had a higher ceiling. He didn’t see any guards patrolling through. If his footsteps made any sound, they probably would have echoed, it was so quiet. TOO quiet. He’d noticed whether he was in the tube or not, there was always some sort of noise. Whether it was coming from his tube, ventilation systems, or the conversing of soldiers, there was something going on. But now it was very quiet. No talking, no vent system. Nothing.

He rushed forward, wrapping his arms around 005’s arm, who looked at him in surprise. It seemed they were not experiencing the same sudden paranoia as him. How they were so calm now, he had no idea! This was terrifying to him!

He shivered as they walked, not only from fear but… cold. It was cold. He could feel it through his skin suit. It wasn’t like the rest of this labyrinth.

005 gave him… a little pat on the head. Well, it was more like a very gentle and soft… slap… to the top of his helmet. He looked at them, confused himself now. What had that been for??

Well it did distract him from the situation he supposed…

_“It… ok!”_

He did a double take, stopping his feet where they were.

They talked. 005 talked, spoke to him. And he understood this time…

Their voice was not like his. It was a higher pitch, and his voice was already rather squeaky.

He gulped and nodded, receiving a little giggle in reply. They seemed much nicer than TM-010… especially now what it seemed the two could try and converse with each other. 005 began pulling him along again, and suddenly, exploring didn’t seem so bad now.

~~~

The new rooms they found were each very different from what they had previously seen. All of them, very tall, and much brighter. There were windows everywhere, massive ones, displaying the great blue on the outside. The Great Blue… 004 decided that was a nice name for it.

005 stopped, causing 004 to bump into them. He crossed his arms, wondering what it was for. But 005 seemed transfixed on something. He turned his head, suddenly understanding why. Just outside the glass was something new… something sleek, and long, gliding through the blue. It was a reddish white color, and very fast. Their heads followed it as it moved, as if enamored with the creature. It certainly was pretty…

004 was interrupted however. He heard a familiar noise, of a door opening. He turned, seeing a figure that was just as familiar. The orange one, stepping through, hunched over, as if sneaking around. They were still here!

He wasn’t sure why, but he grabbed 005 and dragged them behind a rock, one of the many in the room from its shape. They were about to say something, he just knew it, so he put his finger up to where his mouth was, trying to get them to be quiet. They tilted their head, but nodded…

He had to see if the figure was still there. He carefully moved his head, trying to peer around. Indeed they were, carefully treading. As quiet as they were however, he could hear the footsteps. They weren’t completely silent, not like 004 or 005. But they were here… right in front of him… about 20 feet away.

He hid completely again, sitting on the ground. What was he going to do…

005 tapped his arm. He looked up at them, and saw them pointing to the door they had come through, the direction back to Tyl.

He realized… they could get back to Tyl, warn him! Surely this orange figure was here to cause harm, and 004 wanted none of it!

He nodded, taking 005’s hand.

He held up his fingers, three of them, slowly putting them down. A count down, so they could begin running at the same time.

_3…_

_2…_

The moment he put his index finger, he was pulled along by 005. He could keep up sure, but it was sudden.

They dashed through the door, before the orange figure could, but he wondered if they had been spotted.

He didn’t want to stick around and find out. He didn’t want to look back either.

It was in this moment however that he realized how fast he actually was, and how fast 005 was.

VERY fast. His feet were still close to silent as they pounded on the floor, and the walls seemed to blur on by as they moved. It wasn't the same as walking, there was almost an excitement to it!

The two skidded to a stop, taking a sharp turn. He almost bumped into the wall, 005 however DID bump into the wall. It seemed they weren’t quite as good on their feet. No matter.

They rushed forward again, retracing their steps to find Tyl once more. They just had to get there first, before the figure.

And get there they did.

The two turned a corner, and found themselves colliding with a familiar face. Not Tyl, rather, one of the other pod members. TM-009.

The three all toppled over, grunting… and THEN heard the concerned familiar voice of Regor.

“What- happened? Where were you-”

Before 004 could even respond, 005 jolted to their feet, pointing in the direction they had come from, and spoke out;

_“SKOOM!!”_

A word 004 was familiar with… but he never understood what it meant. Just that a LOT of soldiers stationed here said it, especially when they sounded panicked or aggravated. And 005 certainly sound panicked now. AND aggravated. A stern mix of the two.

But 005 seemed to know EXACTLY what it meant. He wondered how.

Tyl made a low grunt, stepping around the group, leaving them. They ALL got the idea, he wanted them to stay put. So… they stayed put. TM-006 even sat down, stretching their arms. A small yawning sound was heard, they seemed very content staying put. However, 009 grunted at the other, trying to prompt them into getting back up. 006 shrugged, staying put, and 004 could tell from 009’s body language that they were down for a fight. He slowly gripped 005’s hand again in slight anticipation. However, 010 huffed at the two, and they instantly looked at them. 006 huffed and stood up, and 009 crossed their arms, looking to the side.

They seemed to diffuse the situation rather easily…

010 leaned on the wall, all coy like, crossing their arms and resting one leg over the other.

004 gulped, squeezing 005’s hand. He hadn’t realized at first, but 010 was big… bigger than 008 and 009… the tallest in the group, and they didn’t look nearly as skinny. He’d have to make sure not to get on their bad side.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passed, as it always did. The pod stayed put, waiting, watching, and listening. For ANYTHING really… they had all become bored out of their minds. 004 wanted to sit, but not after the display from 010. He was still rather comfortable just holding his siblings hand, and 005 didn’t seem to mind either.

Time passed, as it always did. The pod stayed put, waiting, watching, and listening. For ANYTHING really… they had all become bored out of their minds. 004 wanted to sit, but not after the display from 010. He was still rather comfortable just holding his siblings hand, and 005 didn’t seem to mind either.

004 leaned on a wall, and 005 copied. They both simply stood… enjoyed each other’s presence… tried to ignore the tension in the room.

10 minutes felt like an hour when the door opened, and everyone peered, eager to see Tyl once more. But Tyl was not there. Neither was the orange figure. Something completely new stood before them all.

A blue, glowing figure… hovering in place, and a light and airy noise filling the room. This new… creature… it did not look like anything he had seen before. Not the giant fish, not Tyl or any of his pod, not the intruder. It did not seem to have legs, only strange appendages that protruded from its sides…

Small and subtle rays of light emanated from its center, washing over 004 and 005, the two who were closest to the door. They stayed completely still. 004 didn’t know what this thing was or what it wanted, only that if he moved, it might attack them…

TM-010 however… they did not seem concerned with that… not at all.

They ran past 004 and 005, glaring the creature dead on, and tackling it, trying to strike it down. 004 pulled backwards, dragging 005 with him.

010 hurled their body onto the living blue pillar, wrapping their hands around its sides. Some of the other pod members gasped. 009 clasped their hands together, in anticipation.

All their hope was futile however. As soon as 010’s hands touched the threatening figure, it vanished. Ceased. With nothing to tackle now, 010 landed on their stomach, skidding a few inches forward.

Silence.

The figure was gone. It was just gone…

010 groaned, their voice lower than 004’s, and much hoarser. 009 rushed over, leering over 010, before crouching down to poke them. Slowly, one by one, the other members of the pod surrounded 010. 005 reached down to hold their hand. 010 grunted once more, slowly getting up, kneeling on the ground. They looked around, confused, before realizing what had happened. They crossed their arms, huffing.

The thing was gone… well, so was Tyl. They were alone again.

010 rolled, now sitting down, and scooted so their back was on the wall. A few others, 009 and 007, huddled next to them, while 006 and 008 sat alone, but still close. 004 squeezed 005’s hand, before sitting down himself. The other hugged his arm, cuddling up close to him. It had been quite a scare, but now he was wondering, what WAS that thing? He was almost too curious to BE afraid of it. Was it a machine, like the many used in the facility? Maybe, but it wasn’t like any machine here. It reacted to them like it was alive, but it didn’t LOOK alive…

It hurt his brain to think about, so he stopped, instead wondering where Tyl had gone…

~~~

Occasionally, as the group sat, an alarm would go off, or the light above them would flicker. It was frightening, especially to 004. He covered his ears every time the blaring noise repeated. 005 would pat his shoulder every time.

Sometimes, they heard the shouting of soldiers stationed around, running towards somewhere, shouting commands. No gunfire though. That was good. 004 hated the sound of gunfire and alarms.

However, he felt as if Tyl should have been back by now. Yes there was commotion outside, but what had happened to him? 004 hunched over, anxiously imagining what could have possibly happened.

Had the intruder gotten to him? He hoped not, but it was a big possibility. After all, the intruder probably followed them when they ran. They were silent, but they weren’t invisible.

After a while, the alarms completely stopped. He heard very few footsteps outside, no gunfire, no commands being shouted. On one hand, he was glad the sound had stopped, on the other, what was going on?? All was quiet, and Tyl still wasn’t back.

010 stood up, stretching their arm behind their back, and walking past the others, over 004. They huffed, not looking at 004, but he could tell it was directed at him anyways.

One by one, all the other pod members followed again. 004 and 005 remained at the back, fingers still intertwined. He liked the feeling, it made him feel safe.

Through the corridors, it felt… scarier with all of them together, yet without Tyl. When 004 was with 005, he was fine. But now, they were like a herd of ducklings with no mother to guide them, wandering aimlessly, the only thing to keep them together being the will to survive and the fear of what might happen if they split up…

There were no other guards in the halls now. It was like the place was abandoned, not a trace of life. Save for the large fish that 004 could see through the windows. But only he and 005 seemed to be impressed by their presence. The group was going through a new area, one they had not been in. TM-010 strode confidently, so much so that they put an arm on their hip as they walked. Confident.

The hallways were much more brightly lit, but it wasn’t all a good thing. 004 could hear the lights above them, buzzing and occasionally flickering. The paths were much narrow now, the lights were closer too, blinding almost.

The combination of the hum of the fluorescents and their blinding brightness made him squeeze 005’s hand again. He received a little squeeze in return. Perhaps they were also as unnerved as he was?

The group stopped before a slightly larger door. 010 put their hand up, gesturing for them to follow as they took charge. The entrance slid open, revealing the biggest, most curved dome like room 004 had seen thus far. There were broken tubes lining the sides… a massive glass window in the roof that looked like it had almost cracked under pressure…

In the center were two oddities. The first, more notable, being a large bronze statue that… looked exactly like Tyl. What it was there for was beyond 004. The second however erased all previous worries from his mind.

A large muscular body right underneath the statue, flat on its stomach. An axe sat a few feet away, a shield next to it. There were arrows sticking out of the body, mostly the arms and a few in the shoulders. It was Tyl, seemingly lifeless, having suffered an attack, probably from that intruder.

No one moved, no one made a sound. Hell, 004 didn’t even breathe, not until he rushed through the group, stopping at Tyl’s side. Looking closer now, Tyl looked even worse! There was a few gashes in his suit that exposed skin and even some cuts, other areas of the suit that looked like they had been torn open straight up with a sharp weapon, and the arrows certainly didn’t help.

004 reached his hand outward, towards Tyl’s shoulder… wanting to see if he would respond to the touch.

The rest of the pod nervously gathered around, anticipating what was to happen.


End file.
